Chapters:

"Kenneth, how good to see you! Come right on in,
Phillip will be with us in a moment." Suzanne ushered him in and
he was surprised to find himself not the only visitor of the
evening. Of course, the doctor and his wife had risen in
popularity since Gloria's death, but he didn't expect such a
blatant display.

He tried not to be miserable as every pair of eyes
scrutinized him as he found a seat in the corner. They expected
him to be miserable and to look as bad as he did. Otherwise, what
would there be to talk about? A bitter taste rose in his throat.

"Kenneth, Suzanne told me you were here." Phillip
greeted as he pulled a chair close.

"I'm surprised you could find me amidst your guests.
It's quite the party in here." He tried to take the hard edge out
of his voice and the criticism.

"Yes, Suzanne has come to enjoy the…company." The
look on his face said that the good doctor would rather not have
so many underfoot.

"And you, the business, no? What a profit that
wolfsbane has made you."

"Well, there is no true price of protection, is
there. If you would like, I have just a bit left."

"No, it's too late for me."

"Kenneth, would you like a drink?" Suzanne asked, the
gracious hostess.

"Something to put fur on my chin," he replied, then
laughed dryly. He had stopped shaving since Gloria's death. Since
her killing. Suzanne smiled at him but gave her husband a worried
look as if to say, 'Don't let him get out of hand'. Wouldn't her
guests, her gossiping hens, just love that, though? "I must be
crazy to decline, am I right? I'm probably the only one to turn
you down."

"Not the only one. In fact, George turned me down
flat the other day. Said there was no such things as werewolves.
But you and I know different, don't we?"

Kenneth gave him a hard look. Phillip wanted to bite
his tongue. Is that any kind of way to speak to a grieving man?
Especially Kenneth. He'd been a wild, wandering and fiery youth,
finally tamed only by Gloria. Without Gloria, Kenneth was apt to
explode. He decided to take a different vein. "And Bishop, now
that's a hard-headed man. Very shady, too. Very shady. I mean,
the man has no family, no friends. What's he really doing in this
village?"

"You're saying?"

Phillip leaned in to Kenneth, as if everyone hadn't
heard this from him already, "I'm saying that if it was anyone
who was a -you know- it would be him. It makes sense."

"Here you go," Suzanne interrupted.

"To what separates men from beasts," Kenneth toasted
to no one and downed the drink.

"I heard. Who hadn't? What do you think did her in?
Your professional opinion, doctor."

"Age, I'd say. Stress. But the girl was a surprise."

"Aye, I'd heard there'd been a wee girl kept
prisoner. Can you imagine that- kept locked in with Withers?"
They both laughed. "Kind of killed her credibility, so to speak,
didn't that?"

"Yes, it did." Phillip frowned as if remembering
something unpleasant. "But now that's passed and I hear that the
girl is doing quite well."

"The girl?" Suzanne interrupted. "Yes, she's living
with Sarah's red-haired girl, Savannah. What an…odd pair
they make. I've heard that they've been seen at all hours of the
day, wandering through fields and woods. Picking plants and
things."

"Considering that the girl had never been outside,
I'd say that was normal." Kenneth said.

"Normal?" Suzanne scoffed. "Holding hands and dancing
in circles with flowers in their hair, normal? I don't think so.
The girl should have stayed with us."

"The girl didn't want to be with us," Phillip softly
reminded her. He'd had to remind her of more and more things
since all of the attention.

"Well, I don't care what charm Savannah has
over the girl, that child would be safer here. You know what they
say about red-haired women," she said confidingly.

"That they were born that way? That they're part
Irish?" Kenneth offered.

"Watch your tongue, Suzanne," Phillip warned. "You
let it get away with too much. Forgive her, Kenneth. We're just a
couple of old people trying to make it through."

"You seem to be 'making it through' just fine. Care
to sell me some wolfsbane? Care to trade me some lies?" He
directed towards Phillip, the latter towards Suzanne. He stood
suddenly. "Phillip, you have changed. Your house is now a den of
lies and gossip, a breeding ground for dangerous thoughts. You
ought to watch yourself."

Phillip stood and placed a hand on Kenneth's
shoulder. "It is you who have changed. Think of that."

Kenneth gave him a weary look and his eyes were still
haunted by grief and guilt. He put a hand on Phillip's shoulder
and left.